Who We Are

We harness the collective power of business and outdoor communities to fund and advocate for the protection of North America’s wild places.

A planet where wild places, wildlife, and people thrive together.

u003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003eu003cstrongu003eWe are catalysts.u003c/strongu003e Providing a link between the conservation community and businesses, we enable and inspire our colleagues to work together to protect the wild places vital to their business.u003c/spanu003ernrnu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003eu003cstrongu003eWe represent strength in numbers.u003c/strongu003e We recognize that our greatest strength is our collective nature. Our members are competitors who come together around a common purpose.u003c/spanu003ernrnu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003eu003cstrongu003eWe embody simplicity and effectiveness.u003c/strongu003e We are laser-focused on providing resources to grassroots conservation projects. We strive to find the best conservation partners who will succeed given adequate support, and we measure that success in terms of measurable, on-the-ground protection for wild places.u003c/spanu003ernrnu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003eu003cstrongu003eWe are responsible.u003c/strongu003e As a group of outdoor and associated businesses, we have a responsibility to invest in protecting the places that are important to our colleagues and customers.u003c/spanu003e

The Conservation Alliance was founded in 1989 by industry leaders Kelty, Patagonia, REI, and The North Face to increase outdoor industry support for conservation efforts. They believed that cooperation among businesses was the most effective way to make the biggest impact.rnrnToday, 270 member companies from outdoor and related industries invest in our vision of protecting wild places and outdoor spaces through community-focused grantmaking.rnrnBecause of their generous support, we have contributed over $29 million to grassroots conservation groups, which has helped protect more than 73 million acres of wildlands, protected 3,580 miles of rivers, stopped or removed 37 dams, designated five marine reserves, and purchased 21 climbing areas.

In order to achieve our vision, we must actively work to create inclusive systems within our organizational culture, processes, and programs. We strive for a blend of humility, patience, and determination as we work to transform ourselves, shift our culture, build upon our 33-year organizational history, and connect with networks and communities who have not been part of our alliance in the past.rnrnWe commit to share ownership of our mission with our partners and communities, broaden access to decision-making power over funding and project priorities, and expand and diversify access to our financial resources and political clout. We know that our vision and path forward will evolve, and we pledge our transparency during mistakes and successes. We welcome the guidance and feedback of our members, grantees, supporters, and those we have yet to meet.

u003cstrongu003eJusticeu003c/strongu003ernHold ourselves accountable for using our power and privilege to address systems of bias and exclusion inhibiting our collective work.rnrnu003cstrongu003eEquityu003c/strongu003ernCreate the conditions necessary to expand access to our resources, opportunities, and the work we do.rnrnu003cstrongu003eDiversityu003c/strongu003ernActively recognize and value the ways in which different backgrounds, perspectives, and life experiences contribute to our work and the conservation movement.rnrnu003cstrongu003eInclusionu003c/strongu003ernCreate systems that invite a variety of voices and perspectives by engaging with openness and curiosity, actively removing barriers to participation or access, and seeking out those who might be missing from the conversation.rnrnu0026nbsp;rnrnu003cemu003eRead more about our organization’s commitment to this work in our u003cstrongu003eu003ca href=u0022https://www.conservationalliance.com/2021/07/justice-equity-diversity-and-inclusion-statement/u0022u003eJEDI Statementu003c/au003eu003c/strongu003e.u003c/emu003ernrnu003cemu003eLearn more about the u003ca href=u0022https://www.conservationalliance.com/confluence/u0022u003eu003cstrongu003eConfluence Program,u003c/strongu003eu003c/au003e which we developed in recognition of the fact that our network of partners includes few groups representing historically racially excluded people. u003c/emu003e